By Amber Kyle
Tucker County High School has three recent graduates who will be competing in the sport of Acrobatics and Tumbling at their respective schools this competitive season.
Kelsey Kyle is a junior at Fairmont State University. She is the daughter of Dave and Amber Kyle of Parsons. This will be her third year competing for the Falcons. Last season she qualified for Nationals in the Acro 7 element, Inversion Pyramid, Synchronized Pyramid and the Synchronized Toss.
Kenzie Kyle is a freshman at West Liberty University. She is also the daughter of Dave and Amber Kyle of Parsons. Kenzie was the first student athlete to sign a letter of intent to participate in Acrobatic and Tumbling for the Hilltoppers. She and her sister will be competing against each other head to head this season.
Lindsey Poling is a freshman at West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is the daughter of Amy Poling of Thomas. Lindsey has a strong competitive dance background, competing for years for Dance by Farrah.
This is the first year of competition for West Liberty University and West Virginia Wesleyan College.
The college sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling began competition in the Spring of 2011 and is currently offered at 22 colleges and universities throughout the country. All levels of NCAA schools – Division I, II and III compete against each other in 6-8 meets during their season with a National Champion crowned each spring. There will be 6 West Virginia schools fielding teams this year, with Fairmont State University being one of the founding schools in 2011.
The sport of acrobatics and tumbling combines skills used in gymnastics and the athletic aspects of cheerleading. The teams compete head to head, in six events including – Compulsory, Acro, Pyramid, Toss, Tumbling, and Team Event. Each meet consists of these six events broken down into 20 different heats of competition. Depending on the heat, there can be from one to 24 athletes on the competition floor at any given time.
Each meet is exciting, fast paced, and fan friendly with competitors in this sport demonstrate significant strength, power, flexibility, and balance in their skill set performed. Teams compete and are evaluated in each event, receiving a score based on starting difficulty values and execution. In a competition, a team can score up to 300 points. The team with the highest overall score is declared the winner.
The following provides a brief description of each event.
Event 1 – Compulsory – Each team competes identical pre-determined set of skills with a pre-determined starting value of 10.0. There are four heats that include acro, pyramid, toss and tumbling. Each heat can score up to a perfect 10, with the total combined event score of 40 points.
Event 2 – Acro – In the acro event, teams compete in three different heats of 5, 6, and 7 element acro skills. In the acro event, teams of typically 2-4 athletes will compete acrobatic movements demonstrating great strength, balance, technique and core from both the bases and tops. Each heat may score up to a perfect 10 with a total combined score in this event up to 30 points.
Event 3 – Pyramid – In this event, teams compete in three individual heats of pyramids valued at up to 10 points per heat for a maximum of 30 points for the event. Teams want to use as few athletes as possible to create the most unique and difficult pyramid. Each heat has a different requirement: inverted top, synchronized and open.
Event 4 – Toss – The toss event is a high flying event with four athletes tossing a fifth athlete (top) high in the air, while completing flipping and/or twisting forward or backward. Two of the three heats are solo tosses while one heat is a synchronized toss. Each of the three toss heats may score up to 10 points each for a total maximum score for the event of up to 30 points.
Event 5 – Tumbling – The tumbling event shows the sheer power of each team. Six heats construct the Tumbling Event with 10 points each for a maximum of 60 points for the event. Athletes may compete in both the synchronized portion and in one solo pass. In this event, tumbling combinations will feature difficulty, multiple flips, and twists in various passes with athletes tumbling both forward and backward.
Event 6 – Team Event – In this event, athletes perform synchronized choreographed skills in a 2 1/2 minute routine set to music. Each team competes up to 24 athletes. Routines are composed to showcase all skill sets that have been competed in the previous five events. This event has a maximum of 110 points, making it extremely crucial to the outcome of the meet.
West Virginia Wesleyan Schedule:
- 2/5 at Davis & Elkins 7:00pm
- 2/11 at West Liberty 2:00pm
- 2/23 home against Fairmont State 6:30pm
- 3/1 home against Adrian College 5:00pm
- 3/17 at Alderson Broaddus 3:30pm
- 3/28 at Glenville State 7:00pm
- 4/7 home against Georgetown College 3:00pm
West Liberty University Schedule:
- 2/11 home against West Virginia Wesleyan 2:00pm
- 2/17 at Adrian College 4:00pm
- 3/9 home against Davis & Elkins 6:00pm*
- 3/9 home against Hawaii Pacific University 6:00pm*
- 3/18 at Gannon University 4:00pm
- 3/21 home against Glenville State 6:00pm
- 3/29 at Davis & Elkins 7:00pm
- 4/7 at Fairmont State University 3:00pm
*Tri-meet
Fairmont State University Schedule:
- 2/23 at West Virginia Wesleyan 6:30pm
- 2/38 home against Alderson Broaddus 6:30pm
- 3/6 home against Hawaii Pacific 6:30pm
- 3/12 at Baylor University TBA
- 3/24 home against Converse College 2:00pm
- 4/4 at Davis & Elkins at 7:00pm
- 4/7 home against West Liberty University 3:00pm
